Up in smoke

Regrettably my Pub 'Tavarn Ty Elise', a little bar in the Breton countryside between Uhelgoad (Huelgoat) & Karaez (Carhaix), (Bro Gerne) Finistere, Breizh/Llydaw/Brittany/Bretagne burned down in the early hours of friday February 19, 2010. Thirty years of my life up in smoke, but in spite of that the phoenix has risen again and the red dragon is back.

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Sunday, 18 March 2018

Bun Walters: Queens Rd. Infants; Penydarren Juniors; Cyfarthfa Grammar; Ice Cream salesman, Billy Smart's Circus; Fitter's mate, Triang Toys (Lines Bros); Records clerk, Ebbw Vale; Machine operator, Moss Gears; Man from the Pru (Prudential Assurance); Odd job man, Castle Hotel, Merthyr; Painter, Mid Glam County Council; Fitter's/Roofer's/Brickie's/Plasterer's Mate/ Shop Steward, Brecon Rd. Yard; Refuse collector, Night Watchman, Toilet Attendant, Storeman, Dowlais Yard; General worker/Shop Steward, Rhydycar Sports & Leisure Centre; Branch Secretary/Constituency Executive Member/County Delegate/National Delegate Plaid Cymru; County Council candidate aged 21, lost to Mid-Glam chairmanArea Organiser Cymdeithas yr Iaith; Co-founder with Malcolm Llywelyn & Maldwyn Walters of Merthyr Sefydliad Cymru (first extra mural Welsh lessons in Merthyr, held in pub lounges in the Six Bells, Heolgerrig, The Owain Glyndwr, Pontmorlais, The Crown, Lower High St.; Linked to these was a carte blanche to organize Max Boyce concerts, Dafydd Iwan, Ryan Davies, Elenor Bennett, and the first Welsh language rock concert with Injaroc at Rhydycar, with permission from the council, not forgetting our Welsh language 'Disco Dewin with Malcolm & Maldwyn.' These various happenings could come under the auspices of either' Plaid Cymru', 'C-Y-I-G' or 'Mudiad Adloniant Merthyr.' Thence forward to maker of concrete girders at Pierre LeJeune's yard, Plouye; Pub landlord; co founder of 'Coreff', first Breton brewery of modern times, two brewers, Jean-François Malgorn/Christian Blanchard, Roger, Ty Coz, Morlaix, Bernard, Chez Tom, Lesneven, Tavarn Ty Elise, Plouye (Me). Ty Elise, the genesis of the proto (not yet baptised) Vieille Charrues, organized by a band of friends, former 'pion(ne)s directed in the main by Stephan Pastor/Thierry Le Ster. It has gone on from two tables with food & wine brought into a little bar with background music to become the largest open air music festival in France. My activities are now on hold after two recent double operations on my liver and intestines, this means that I have to rest for at least a month before getting back to business when I hope to be back to full strength offering a huge welcome to all from then on (except trouble makers). P.S. Thanks to Elen, the bar is open fridays, saturdays & sundays, soon to open on wednesdays to sundays inclusive.

Wednesday, 14 March 2018

News update on provisional internet connexion: Back home from hospital for hopefully the last time after a successful operation on my liver and intestines, six weeks rest recommended. My new address is 15 route de Huelgoat. Pub is however open every friday, saturday & sunday until I return.

Tuesday, 27 February 2018

Sorry for my absence; not as though I have nothing on my mind, it's just that I've been lacking inspiration, standing at the bar, shopping, watching the telly and sleeping, I should have been more thoughtful not leaving people think the worst. I apologise again. Glorious weather coming across in the taxi, Spring is definitely in the air, very sunny with not a cloud in the sky, primroses & daffodils everywhere, although temperatures are very low, when the nurse came by this morning it was -8° C. My operation for Jan. 11 was postponed because my haemoglobin level was so low I risked having a blood quantity problem in case of a haemorage durng the intervention, however I have since been given the all clear, the operation will take place tomorrow. The taxi got me to the hospital in Brest at 3pm., the operation will comprise cauterising a cancerous lesion in my liver and taking my bag away by reversing the first operation on my intestines. I should be here for a week to 10 days, and perhap's a week's convalescence to follow; see you then. Da bo'chi/ Kenavo.

Monday, 1 January 2018

Friday, 29 December 2017

I'm going from one thing to another: renal insufficiency, to lack of red corpuscles; lack of red corpuscles; too much potassium, now it's a too low hemoglobine level, leading too my G.P. telling me that I'm working on only half-power. Blood-transfusion & tests next Tuesday to find out where there's a blood leak because at the moment they have no idea as there are no outward signs, bit of an enigma! Hope to have a good new year's holiday period which will be followed by the annual low of January & February, starting up again at Easter. By the way, a special thanks to Fran May with her pianist for her concert on Dec. 23.

Wales - W. Watkin Davies

Destiny of the Britons - Taliesin

Wales United

"If they decide to unite," he said, "they would be completely invincible. This nation would be fortunate....if they could accept one prince, and he a good one." - Gerallt Cymro (Giraldus Cambrensis)

The result was that the king, Henry II, with his mighty army, was forced to retreat, and in his anger he blinded his hostages and burned the churches.

Putting the Record Straight

At a time when the vast majority of the French abandoned their fate into the hands of Marshall Pétin, many Bretons chose, and that as early as 1940, to go to England to continue the fight. At the end of 1940 the Bretons made up 70% of the resistance while Brittany only comprises 7% of the French population. The resistance went on to attract more and more men and women, yet at the end of 1943, only six months before the Normandy landings, the Bretons still represented 40% of the Free French. This is not to forget the resistance in Brittany itself, a vast uprising of the whole people, which retained many German troops in the peninsula, for these, had they been allowed to reach the Normandy front, would have pushed the Allies back to sea. It is also thanks to the Bretons that France, whose authorities had massively collaborated with Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1944, could recover her honour. The brutal repression which was triggered after D-Day against all forms of Bretonness, seems all the more disgraceful.
Bernard Le Nail

Bethesda Chapel, Georgetown, Merthyr Tydfil

Joseph Parry worshipped in this chapel as a young boy before going "off to Philadelphia in the morning". One day I received a note from Margaret Roberts, Emrys's wife asking me to volunteer to help to clean it out, which I was happy to do. Later on John Jenkins had an office there and I used to go down to see him for a chat at lunch time."

W.H.I.P.P.E.T.

Richard Trevithithick Commemorative Plate

2004 Bi- Centenary Limited Edition No. 110 out of 200, a gift to me from Llinos Davis representing the school

Asst. Costermonger around the streets of Rhymni, Merthyr & Cwm Cynon ValleyIndustrial painter, Mid-Glam C.C.Storeman;night watchman;refuse collector;street cleaner;toilet attendant;brickie's,plasterer's,fitter's,roofer's mate;Town Hall caretaker;General handyman, Rhydycar Leisure Centre,all with Merthyr Borough CouncilShop Steward;Political Ward Branch Secretary;Constituency Membership Secretary;National Delegate;Area Organiser Welsh Language;County Council Candidate;Election Agent, Borough Council;member of Merthyr Tydfil and Ebbw Vale Rugby Clubs;member of Gellifaelog Bowls Club;life-long supporter of Merthyr Tydfil F.C., founder member of extra mural Welsh classes; signed Merthyr's 'Visitors' Book' after Charles and Di; moved to Brittany in 1979, landlord of 'Tavarn Ty Elise';voted in newspaper, person who comes to mind when one thinks of Brittany; more than one guide book refers to my Pub as an 'institution'; largest open air music festival in France conceived in my Bar. Helped to establish first 'Real Ale' micro-brewery in Brittany. Alan Stivell is my niece's godfather and my daughter's godmother is a daughter one of the 'Soeurs Gouadec';Yann Tiersen played in the pub;Jean-Claude Dreyfuss drank and acted in the pub for a video-clip.For my Wedding, the Merthyr Express sent over its Chief Reporter Melanie Doel and her photographer boyfriend Robert Haines. Best Man to George & Marilyn Quirk; Usher to Mike & Rhiannon Jones. Pall-bearer to Erwan Kervella. Grandfather to Goulwen, Glen & Awena.